An error, that had it made it into print, would have been more than just a little embarrassing for a paper that doesn't need any more embarrassment.

So, because we're all about being super-helpful here at Random Pixels, I called the Herald newsroom in an effort to get someone to correct the mistake before it got into today's dead-tree edition of the paper.

Someone answered the phone on the first ring. (In the Herald's nearly deserted newsroom these days, that's not always the case.)

The person who answered is someone I've known for more than a few years. I explained why I was calling. But instead of thanking me for taking the time to call, the staffer's attitude can best be described as snotty, condescending and rude. (In case you're wondering, that's her at the top of this post.)

So, just to make sure someone in authority knew of the error, I called the cell phone of someone whose name appears on the paper's masthead. When I told him why I was calling, I was given a mini-lecture and chided for not knowing the difference between the newsroom and the editorial department

Earlier Monday, another veteran Herald editor gave notice of her intention to leave the paper.

And since more are almost certain to leave in the weeks and months ahead - and the paper isn't replacing any - you don't need a journalism degree to figure out the Herald's future isn't all that bright.

And that's good news for that rude staffer who doesn't like answering the phone and talking to pesky, know-it-all readers. Pretty soon you won't have to worry about that.